diff --git a/introspection/nm-device-generic.xml b/introspection/nm-device-generic.xml
index 7cd3d1afc3..79d1989968 100644
--- a/introspection/nm-device-generic.xml
+++ b/introspection/nm-device-generic.xml
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@
       </tp:docstring>
     </property>
 
+    <property name="TypeDescription" type="s" access="read">
+      <tp:docstring>
+        A (non-localized) description of the interface type, if known.
+      </tp:docstring>
+    </property>
+
     <signal name="PropertiesChanged">
         <arg name="properties" type="a{sv}" tp:type="String_Variant_Map">
             <tp:docstring>
diff --git a/libnm-glib/nm-device-generic.c b/libnm-glib/nm-device-generic.c
index 170b9b8fd8..b69070fdd2 100644
--- a/libnm-glib/nm-device-generic.c
+++ b/libnm-glib/nm-device-generic.c
@@ -37,16 +37,19 @@ typedef struct {
 	DBusGProxy *proxy;
 
 	char *hw_address;
+	char *type_description;
 } NMDeviceGenericPrivate;
 
 enum {
 	PROP_0,
 	PROP_HW_ADDRESS,
+	PROP_TYPE_DESCRIPTION,
 
 	LAST_PROP
 };
 
 #define DBUS_PROP_HW_ADDRESS "HwAddress"
+#define DBUS_PROP_TYPE_DESCRIPTION "TypeDescription"
 
 /**
  * nm_device_generic_error_quark:
@@ -156,6 +159,7 @@ register_properties (NMDeviceGeneric *device)
 	NMDeviceGenericPrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_GET_PRIVATE (device);
 	const NMPropertiesInfo property_info[] = {
 		{ NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_HW_ADDRESS, &priv->hw_address },
+		{ NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_TYPE_DESCRIPTION, &priv->type_description },
 		{ NULL },
 	};
 
@@ -209,6 +213,9 @@ get_property (GObject *object,
 	case PROP_HW_ADDRESS:
 		g_value_set_string (value, priv->hw_address);
 		break;
+	case PROP_TYPE_DESCRIPTION:
+		g_value_set_string (value, priv->type_description);
+		break;
 	default:
 		G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
 		break;
@@ -242,5 +249,19 @@ nm_device_generic_class_init (NMDeviceGenericClass *klass)
 		                      "Hardware address",
 		                      NULL,
 		                      G_PARAM_READABLE));
+
+	/**
+	 * NMDeviceGeneric:type-description:
+	 *
+	 * A description of the specific type of device this is, or %NULL
+	 * if not known.
+	 **/
+	g_object_class_install_property
+		(object_class, PROP_TYPE_DESCRIPTION,
+		 g_param_spec_string (NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_TYPE_DESCRIPTION,
+		                      "Type Description",
+		                      "Type description",
+		                      NULL,
+		                      G_PARAM_READABLE));
 }
 
diff --git a/libnm-glib/nm-device-generic.h b/libnm-glib/nm-device-generic.h
index 492e3c598f..bdc301fcd0 100644
--- a/libnm-glib/nm-device-generic.h
+++ b/libnm-glib/nm-device-generic.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ typedef enum {
 GQuark nm_device_generic_error_quark (void);
 
 #define NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_HW_ADDRESS       "hw-address"
+#define NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_TYPE_DESCRIPTION "type-description"
 
 typedef struct {
 	NMDevice parent;
diff --git a/src/nm-device-generic.c b/src/nm-device-generic.c
index 043de7eaf8..7a04efe98f 100644
--- a/src/nm-device-generic.c
+++ b/src/nm-device-generic.c
@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@
 #include "nm-device-generic.h"
 #include "nm-device-private.h"
 #include "nm-enum-types.h"
+#include "nm-platform.h"
 #include "nm-properties-changed-signal.h"
 #include "nm-utils.h"
+#include "nm-glib-compat.h"
 
 #include "nm-device-generic-glue.h"
 
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ G_DEFINE_TYPE (NMDeviceGeneric, nm_device_generic, NM_TYPE_DEVICE)
 #define NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_GET_PRIVATE(o) (G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_PRIVATE ((o), NM_TYPE_DEVICE_GENERIC, NMDeviceGenericPrivate))
 
 typedef struct {
-	int dummy;
+	char *type_description;
 } NMDeviceGenericPrivate;
 
 enum {
@@ -44,6 +46,13 @@ enum {
 
 static guint signals[LAST_SIGNAL] = { 0 };
 
+enum {
+	PROP_0,
+	PROP_TYPE_DESCRIPTION,
+
+	LAST_PROP
+};
+
 #define NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_ERROR (nm_device_generic_error_quark ())
 
 static GQuark
@@ -121,6 +130,67 @@ nm_device_generic_init (NMDeviceGeneric *self)
 	nm_device_set_default_unmanaged (NM_DEVICE (self), TRUE);
 }
 
+static void
+constructed (GObject *object)
+{
+	NMDeviceGeneric *self = NM_DEVICE_GENERIC (object);
+	NMDeviceGenericPrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_GET_PRIVATE (self);
+
+	if (!priv->type_description) {
+		int ifindex = nm_device_get_ip_ifindex (NM_DEVICE (self));
+
+		if (ifindex != 0)
+			priv->type_description = g_strdup (nm_platform_link_get_type_name (ifindex));
+	}
+
+	G_OBJECT_CLASS (nm_device_generic_parent_class)->constructed (object);
+}
+
+static void
+dispose (GObject *object)
+{
+	NMDeviceGeneric *self = NM_DEVICE_GENERIC (object);
+	NMDeviceGenericPrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_GET_PRIVATE (self);
+
+	g_clear_pointer (&priv->type_description, g_free);
+
+	G_OBJECT_CLASS (nm_device_generic_parent_class)->dispose (object);
+}
+
+static void
+get_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id,
+              GValue *value, GParamSpec *pspec)
+{
+	NMDeviceGeneric *self = NM_DEVICE_GENERIC (object);
+	NMDeviceGenericPrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_GET_PRIVATE (self);
+
+	switch (prop_id) {
+	case PROP_TYPE_DESCRIPTION:
+		g_value_set_string (value, priv->type_description);
+		break;
+	default:
+		G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
+		break;
+	}
+}
+
+static void
+set_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id,
+              const GValue *value, GParamSpec *pspec)
+{
+	NMDeviceGeneric *self = NM_DEVICE_GENERIC (object);
+	NMDeviceGenericPrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_GET_PRIVATE (self);
+
+	switch (prop_id) {
+	case PROP_TYPE_DESCRIPTION:
+		priv->type_description = g_value_dup_string (value);
+		break;
+	default:
+		G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
+		break;
+	}
+}
+
 static void
 nm_device_generic_class_init (NMDeviceGenericClass *klass)
 {
@@ -129,10 +199,24 @@ nm_device_generic_class_init (NMDeviceGenericClass *klass)
 
 	g_type_class_add_private (klass, sizeof (NMDeviceGenericPrivate));
 
+	object_class->constructed = constructed;
+	object_class->dispose = dispose;
+	object_class->get_property = get_property;
+	object_class->set_property = set_property;
+
 	parent_class->get_generic_capabilities = get_generic_capabilities;
 	parent_class->is_available = is_available;
 	parent_class->check_connection_compatible = check_connection_compatible;
 
+	/* properties */
+	g_object_class_install_property
+		(object_class, PROP_TYPE_DESCRIPTION,
+		 g_param_spec_string (NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_TYPE_DESCRIPTION,
+		                      "Type Description",
+		                      "Type description",
+		                      NULL,
+		                      G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY));
+
 	/* signals */
 	signals[PROPERTIES_CHANGED] =
 		nm_properties_changed_signal_new (object_class,
diff --git a/src/nm-device-generic.h b/src/nm-device-generic.h
index 5c21c8ab25..e2609e238e 100644
--- a/src/nm-device-generic.h
+++ b/src/nm-device-generic.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ typedef enum
 } NMDeviceGenericError;
 
 #define NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_HW_ADDRESS "hw-address"
+#define NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_TYPE_DESCRIPTION "type-description"
 
 typedef struct {
 	NMDevice parent;